Friday, February 16, 2018

With Jake fielding SYW Russians at a feverish pace in anticipation of a planned Zorndorf battle in August (see Jake's Zorndorf project), two squadrons of Prussian Cuirassiers were pushed through my painting queue in response.

While I have yet to formulate an OB for the Prussians I will be fielding on the day of battle, Jake is a step ahead and has OBs for both Russians and Prussians available. Without confirming, the size of the collection leaves little doubt that all Prussian units necessary for Zorndorf already have been mustered out and ready for service.

Today's addition to the 18mm SYW project is a dozen 18mm Eureka Prussian Cuirassiers called up as two squadrons of the 10th Gendarmes regiment. A second dozen heavy cavalry await in the painting queue but many a unit wait in line before its planned appearance at the workbench.

With a steady parade of completed units marching across the blog in February, perhaps it is time to interject something different? While no game has seen action on the table recently, the exploits of the Third Battle of Mollwitz wait to be told as well as travelogues from a January foray into the Mexican Yucatan. Work remains on exploring Switzerland too including a visit to Chateau de Grandson on the banks of Lake Neuchatel.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

These two guns and crew fall into the category of "I don't really need them but might as well paint them." Having languished in The Lead Pilewith a coat of black primer for three or more years, I could take the taunting no longer. Finally, the guns and crew saw some attention at the painting desk.

Guns and Italian crew are from Old Glory's Italian Wars line. Since most of the other artillery stands in the collection are crewed by Landsknechts, I will be able to field Italians when needed. Now, the figures can only taunt me from their storage box.

The collection, now quite large, still awaits its baptism of fire on the gaming table. Will 2018 witness this first outing? I hope so!

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Some of my favorite 28mm Napoleonic figures pushed through the painting queue recently. My favorite figures are the redesigned Front Rank British Reinforcement Sets. To my eye, the sculpting and anatomy on these figures cannot be topped. Splendid figures.

This battalion of nineteen figures including one skirmisher musters out as the 5th Line. Why the 5th? Well, I had a Victrix flag transfer laying in wait.

With the French and her allies outnumbering the British and Portuguese contingents by a small margin, it was high time to bolster the British by adding one more line battalion. Honestly, the British could field several more battalions before parity with the French begins to approach. The project could use some more Portuguese too but the British reinforcement sets are so fine, it will be tough resisting a purchase of more of these infantry.

While the 5th represents the last of British in The Lead Pile, a pile of French still loiter unpainted. Several battalions worth of French, Baden, and Wurttemburg are waiting their turn at the brush. It may be awhile before another battalion from this project is seen at the painting desk but is was certainly enjoyable to paint these fine figures.Does this suggest the Peninsular War project is getting closer to the gaming table? Maybe.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Figures from Campaign Game Miniatures seem to have captured my attention again. Digging around in The Lead Pile, I came across three packs with a dozen French hussars in total. With a renewed emphasis on painting 15/18mm figures, why not add these into the painting queue? That is what I did. After completing two recent groups of early French in bicorne, a regiment of the 4th Hussars trots off the painting desk.

While I have sung the praises of CGM's infantry before, these French hussars in particular and the cavalry in general are even better. Horses are robust and well-sculpted and troopers wearing the slung pelisse are splendid. Great figures, perhaps only bested by AB.

What is next up for CGM on the painting desk? With several packs of Austrian dragoons in sight, those will get added into the painting queue next.

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Another old kit finds its way to the workbench. Since the Germans hold the edge in aircraft in the collect, another Allied aircaft slipped into the production line.

The 1966 Renwal Nieuport 17 kit comes with "aero-skin" appliques to be applied as decals over the entire model rather than painting the aircraft. Being unfamiliar with using this "aero-skin" technique I opted for building the kit in a traditional fashion. Since a second Renwal Nieuport 17 lurks in inventory, I will attempt applying "aero-skin" on the second model.

This Renwal N17 is a good kit and easy to assemble. Painted in a scheme found on the internet, this will make a fine addition to Allied airpower.

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Work continues on the 1799 project as one of my 2018 goals is to field a FRW game later in the year. While enough figures are present to field combatants for a smaller game, such as seen in the Montebello 1800 games, larger battles require more troops. To do that, French infantry and Austrian infantry are moving into the painting queue.

Off the painting desk are two more, 13 figure battalions of early French infantry. The figures are from Campaign Game Miniatures with the exception of the AB Miniatures' mounted officers. Unlike the two battalions fielded recently, the grenadiers in these two battalions are wearing bicorne.

I really like the look of CGM French in bicorne. While not as crisply cast as AB, these are fine figures in their own right and fit in well with the more expensive AB. I wish CGM offered early Austrian in casquet. That would be cool!

Monday, January 29, 2018

Another BMU for the Samurai Battles project musters off the painting desk. This time, a 19 figure stand of archers is added to the roster. As before, figures are 15mm Peter Pig. Note that the archers carry no sashimono. Peter Pig catalog classifies these archers as Levy Ashigaru.

Looking back in the Painting Log, this project has reached 37 BMUs including a small handful of command stands. Having grown much larger than originally anticipated (really, much, much larger) and with less than a dozen packs left in inventory, time to consider winding down the "Build" phase of the project. One 2018 goal targeted painting the remaining figures in The Lead Pile. That goal certainly looks achievable.